The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) has released a report on its Mothers Circle program, a suite of courses and resources for women of other backgrounds raising Jewish children. The report highlights findings that show that upon completion, participants instill more Jewish practices into their homes, engage further in their local Jewish communities, and are more likely to affiliate and choose Jewish education for their children.

Through the full 16-session course, a three session mini-course, holiday-specific prep classes, and a national listserve, The Mothers Circle is able to reach women both in large interfaith communities as well as those in more remote locations of the United States and Canada. To date, The Mothers Circle has been hosted in over 100 communities across North America.

Additionally, JOI recently released a self-guide women can use at home to guide them through the steps of creating a Jewish home even if they weren’t raised in one. Close to 20 communities are currently holding Hanukkah Helper: The Mothers Circle Hanukkah Prep Class to assist women of other backgrounds raising Jewish children with bringing the joys and traditions of Hanukkah into their homes.

The complete report can be found here.